RET deal possible by Easter

ENVIRONMENT Minister Greg Hunt has indicated a deal on the future of the renewable energy target could be reached by Easter.

Mr Hunt told ABC on Monday that in the talks last weekend with the Clean Energy Council and the Australian Industry Group were nearing a solution.

He said if an agreement could be reached with industry, the Opposition would be more likely to support changes. Labor had previously rejected the government's plans, based on falling electricity demand, to almost halve the target for how much energy should be produced by renewables by 2020.

But that stalemate put the sector in further uncertainty, with Mr Hunt telling ABC that "huge progress" was made at the weekend.